Tag: mixed martial arts

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NEWS: Erdington’s MMA rising star Mo ‘Terminator’ Zubair wins crucial fight by first round knock out

Words by Erdington Locsal editorial team

Erdington’s Mo ‘Terminator’ Zubair scored an astonishing first round knock-out victory in a crucial MMA fight last weekend, spectacularly announcing his entrance to professional MMA fighting.

On Saturday 1 June, Mo Zubair headed to Darlington for the second fight in his burgeoning professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) career – to challenge hometown favourite Liam Thomas.

After taking the fight after only eight days notice, Mo stepped up a weight to take on the more seasoned opponent but stunned The Dolphin Centre crowd by knocking Thomas out stone cold.

It took the Erdington fighter just 13 seconds to win, which quickly went viral across MMA websites across the world.

Mo Zubair, a Team Renegade trained fighter, caught Thomas flush on the chin with a counter punch which sent him crashing to the canvas and the referee scrambling to protect him from anymore punishment.

Mo told Erdington Local: “It was a successful night. We left Birmingham at 2pm, got up there around 5.30pm, registered, had a coffee and then fought around 10pm.

“I won after 13 seconds in the first round. There was a huge noise with the shock, I think. We were back in Birmingham by 2.30am.

“I was up the next day to meet my manager for a sauna and was back training again this morning (Monday).”

In a sport which more than any other relies on an athlete’s ability to excite fans as well as winning, Mo’s devastating finish will make him a more attractive proposition to promoters’ match makers.

He continued: “People love to see a knock-out, especially other fighters; I had Leon Edwards message me straight after the fight saying great finish. And he was buzzing in the gym this morning, it was great seeing the team again after a win like that.

“One of videos has already had 80,000 views and I’ve noticed some veteran UFC fighters’ comments saying great knock-out which is brilliant exposure for me.”

The route to the top table of the sport involves being invited and then excelling in various MMA tournaments and championships.

UFC world champions and stars like Leon Edwards and Conor McGregor were champions in promotions like Cage Warriors and Bellator before catching the eye of the most powerful man in the sport Dana White.

In March this year, Mo Zubair won his first professional MMA fight again Nestor Santana, beating the Spaniard by corner stoppage in the first round.

Last weekend’s fight was part of Unity Fighting Championships, Mo’s second professional MMA appearance, and has already set his sights set on climbing the ladder.

Mo added: “I think this was my first and only fight on a Unity bill, my team will take stock and look at our options.

“I am a prize fighter, I will fight anywhere, anytime, providing the money is right.

“I want another two fights this year. I want to end 2024 4-0.”

Click on the links to follow Mo ‘Terminator’ Zubair on Instagram and Facebook.

For more form Unity Fighting Championships visit www.facebook.com/unityfighting

 

 

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SPORT: Erdington UFC star Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards back in the Octagon – looking at a win to clinch the title shot

Words by Adam Smith

Erdington MMA star Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards is headlining the UFC Fight Night at the UFC Apex in Vegas on Saturday 13th March (GMT) night, after being promised a spectacular performance will give him a world title shot.

Edwards had four fights cancelled in the last 20 months due to COVID-19 so is raring to get into the Octagon against Belal Muhammad.

With a total of six fights on the card, the UFC Fight Night will be live streamed on BT Sport 1 from 10:30pm (GMT) on Saturday 13th March. Edwards is expected to enter the Octagon at around 4:30am (GMT) on Sunday 14th March.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on headlining UFC London against Tyron Woodley last March, and seeing three fights against Khamzat Chimaev cancelled, Edwards believes he is now stronger than ever.

He said: “It was disappointing when Woodley it got cancelled but I thought ‘you know what, let’s use this time to improve my skills and my mindset’.

“I’ve had a year and a half in the gym, out of training camps, and my overall game is so much better – my grappling, my wrestling, my striking.”

Edwards contracted coronavirus in December but insists he has had no long-lasting effects.

He said: “I lost a lot of weight, 6kg. I lost my appetite for food; my smell and my taste went.

“I had two weeks off and went back to training, but I struggled with my lungs, I didn’t feel myself. My coach said: ‘you’re operating at 50% of the fighter you can be’.

“I’m back to normal now, my strength is back and my weight is back up.”

‘Rocky’ is on an eight fight winning streak and is ranked third in the world in the highly competitive welterweight division.

UFC supremo Dana White this week said Edwards will be “100% next in line” to fight champion Kamaru Usman if he wins spectacularly.

Edwards said: “If I put in a great performance, I can’t see where else I can go other than a title shot, I’m looking forward to showing fans I’m the best in the world.

“It would be proof to all the kids out there in Britain that you can do it. I spent all my time in Birmingham so it would be nice to show the kids you can reach the top by staying in England.”

Leon Edwards faces off against Belal Muhammad

For more information about Leon Edwards visit www.ufc.com/athlete/leon-edwards

For more on UFC from BT Sport, visit www.bt.com/sport/ufc 

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NEWS: Leon Edwards – Erdington’s global UFC star stands up against knife crime

Words by Adam Smith

Erdington’s very own global UFC superstar Leon Edwards still believes he will be world champion this year but is now also determined to stop local youngsters falling into a life of crime.

The 28-year-old’s plans for global domination were put on hold by COVID-19 but during lockdown he decided to fight knife crime by trying to get free gym memberships for poverty-stricken youngsters.

Currently on an eight fight winning streak and awaiting a welterweight title shot Edwards has shown in recent months he is prepared to use his celebrity status to further causes he believes in.

Edwards, who trained at the Ultimate Training Centre on Erdington High Street, urged people to support NHS and care workers, helped raise money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and attended the Black Lives Matter march in Birmingham city centre last month.

A spate of knife crime deeply affected Edwards after the video of his friend’s cousin being stabbed to death in Oldbury was widely circulated online. He immediately told his management and the UFC he wanted to do something, and now he and fellow UK fighters Darren Till and Jimi Manuwa are working on launching a new anti-knife crime organisation.

Edwards told MMA Junkie: “For me, I grew up in that same environment. I understand what these kids are going through and what’s going through their heads.

“I retweeted a video a few weeks ago on my Instagram about that kid getting stabbed in Birmingham – one of my friends’ cousins. It was heart breaking to actually see the video, because you hear about it all the time. On that same day, that video of that guy that got stabbed, there was another three stabbings in that same day.

“So, I messaged my management straight away and said ‘what can I do to help?’ And set something up that can help and prevent this. Jimi Manuwa reached out to me literally the next day and he was saying the same thing as me and it would be good to get Till involved as well.

“We all came from the same situation as these kids. We all understand the kids. I think martial arts changed our lives and it can hopefully change someone else’s life.”

He added: “At first the plan that came was like we are going to join someone else’s organisation. Our thing is though we want to do our own thing. We want to do it in our own way. We don’t want to join a pre-existing organisation. So at the moment it’s bouncing ideas, speaking to the UFC – they want to be involved as well. We think we are going to be doing our own thing with the UFC. It’s moving forward and we are getting more people involved which is good.”

Edwards, who was due to headline a global UFC event against Tyrone Woodley in March in London before the sports world came to a grinding halt, understands lack of money for local youngsters is a major problem.

He added: “It’s about getting them into martial arts. Some of these kids don’t have money to come to the gym and can’t afford the memberships. So somehow we are trying to get it so the government can help us get these kids in the gym for free basically by covering the costs and we teach them, we mentor them and use the UFC to help as well..”

The Jamaican born fighter, whose brother Fabian is also an MMA star, added: “It’s been going on for a very long time now. Youth violence in the UK, especially Birmingham and London knife crime, it’s been massive.

“I’m trying to bring awareness to it and trying to see what I could do to help, because I remember being in environments like that growing up as a kid with my friends, so I would love to try and help and put awareness to it.”

The former Aston Manor Academy pupil admitted he could easily have fallen into a life of crime growing but his mother forced him to join a gym.

He added: “When I grew up as a kid, I was involved in gangs and stuff like that. My mum took me to the gym to keep me away from my friends, to try and make a better life for myself.

“I stuck to it. It’s changed my life. It changed my family’s life, and I’ve been trying to push it, push it, push it in the UK, to say martial arts has changed my life and it could also change your life.”

In January, Edwards secured his financial future by penning a multi-fight deal with Las Vegas based UFC after becoming a fan favourite with his signature post-chinch elbow move.

In a statement released through his management company Paradigm Sports, he said:  “I am excited to re-sign with the world’s foremost MMA promotion.

“I have had an incredible run in the UFC thus far, and this contract secures my financial position as I make my run towards the welterweight title.”

To find out more Leon Edwards, visit www.ufc.com/athlete/leon-edwards